


Favourite Room

by Mischel



Series: Merlin Memory Month [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Elements, Gen, Merlin Memory Month, Science, Young Arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-01
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-10-26 10:09:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10784706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mischel/pseuds/Mischel
Summary: When Arthur was about 6 years old, he liked to watch the knights fight and think about the future. He would become a man, and a great knight of Camelot. What he liked the most though, was when he could visit the court physician's chambers. There was always something interesting to watch, whether it were old books with pictures or various potions of different colours. One day, he discovered something he probably shouldn't have, something from the physician's past.Written for #MerlinMermoryMonth on tumblr.





	Favourite Room

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I know I promised a Merthur AU fanfic where Merlin is an angel, but I'm still working on that. In the meantime, I decided to join the #MerlinMemoryMonth. It's a tumblr-based prompt fest to remember and celebreate this amazing show. There are going to be 13 prompt days (every Monday, Thursday and Saturday, I think), and I'll post every oneshot that I've written for this fest, according to the schedule. Today is the first prompt day - May 1st - and there were 3 paths to choose from, but I decided to combine them together. I just hope I succeeded :D
> 
> Path I - Beginnings, Firsts, Risings  
> Path II - Elements  
> Path III - Emotion/Mood: Anticipation

Arthur wasn't a little boy anymore. He was already six years old, and just as his father said, he was a _man_. Well, almost. But soon he would be and he would be allowed to train with real knights who carried real swords. Although he still had to wait for that a few more years, that's what his maid told him when he asked.

He liked to watch the knights as they fought on the training grounds. They always somehow knew how to move to block their opponent's blow, what to do to not let their opponent do the same to them, how to _win_.

But as much as he liked to watch them and listen to the clangs of swords against swords and helmets, there was one other room in the castle he still loved more. It was the court physician's chambers. And Gaius was also his favourite person in Camelot (after his father of course, that was expected of him). He was almost like an uncle to Arthur, or a grandpa. And the young prince loved to watch him perform science, especially when it involved potions of various colours and _fire_ under them.

It was almost one hour to midnight when Arthur appeared in Gaius' chambers. He was supposed to go sleep _very_ soon, but he managed to escape his maid because he realized he hadn't visited Gaius that day at all. And at least he wanted to wish the man a good night's sleep, just like his maid did for him every evening.

When he opened the door, he saw Gaius was still sitting at his table, reading something from a book and at the same time stirring a liquid of greenish milky colour. Arthur didn't bother to knock, he entered right away and climbed up on the bench from the other side of the table.

"Hello, Gaius." He greeted him with a smile. The physician jumped slightly and almost spilled the potion, cursing under his breath, so the young prince wouldn't hear him. He heard him anyway.

"Arthur," Gaius frowned when he adjusted the bowl with the potion above the flame. Then he smiled down at the young prince. "You can sneak very well. That's important for great knights." He told him, making Arthur grin instantly.

"Really? I haven't been trying." Arthur said, folding his arms on the table and laying his chin down on them.

"Well, then you're naturally good at it." Gaius muttered as he started reading the book again. "Don't mind me asking, but what are you doing here so late? Shouldn't you be preparing for the night?"

Arthur smirked at that. "I sneaked out." He said. "Apparently, I'm good at that."

Gaius didn't answer, but Arthur noticed he frowned as he read something in the book. Arthur looked at the red flame under the bowl and sighed. It was taking too long. The potion wasn't even boiling yet, and that was more interesting than this. Arthur sighed again and laid his head on his elbow on the table, looking around the things Gaius had around the book.

Then he noticed something interesting – four stones lay around a big white candle. All of them had markings on them that Arthur's never seen before, and words that took Arthur a little while to read. _Fire_ , _water_ , _air_ and _earth._ Arthur frowned at that.

"Gaius, what are those stones for?" Arthur asked, maybe a bit too loudly, because the old man cursed again as he looked at the potion that was way over its boiling point. Gaius stood up and carefully put the bowl with the potion away, just as it started turning yellow. Then he put out the fire with water from the kettle and when everything was secured, he finally looked at Arthur again.

"You're still here?" He asked. "Your maid and father will be worried about you." He commented as he went over to the other half of the long table and returned with a powder, probably made from dry leaves of some herb Arthur didn't know. The prince watched as Gaius put the powder into the potion and it turned green again.

"What are those stones for?" Arthur asked again and this time Gaius pursed his lips and leaned over the table to see which stones Arthur was pointing at.

"A memory." He answered.

"Then why does it say fire, air, water and earth?" Arhtur couldn't help but keep asking. Gaius sighed as he took the stones and shoved them into his pocket.

"Because the one who made them decided it."

"But why?" Arthur asked again.

"You would have to ask him yourself." Gaius answered as he turned back to his potion. Arthur could see Gaius didn't really want to answer, but he couldn't help but be so curious.

"Who made them?"

"My father." Gaius told him.

"Oh," Arthur paused and looked at Gaius. He was sure Gaius' father was no longer alive, so he let it be. He looked at the pocket Gaius hid the stones into and sighed. Then he looked at the potion as Gaius started stirring it again.

"You should go to sleep, young lord." Gaius told him. Suddenly his voice was soft. "You wouldn't want to anger your father, would you?"

"No," Arthur agreed. He hopped off the bench and headed for the door. "Good night Gaius!"

"Sleep well," Gaius smiled as Arthur closed the door.

The typical smell of the herbs and old books disappeared as Arthur left the corridor and when he finally arrived at his chambers and apologized to his maid, he lay into his bed and started thinking about the stones.

He never saw them in Gaius' chambers again.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, so this was the first oneshot. By the way, most of them are Merthur, so that's why I selected Merlin/Arthur as a pairing for this fanfic although they're not really in the first chapter. Next oneshot will be posted on the second prompt day - May 4th. Until then, then! :)


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